By Sandy Barnes
Berthoud Recorder

Sitting down to a bowl of home-cooked vegetable soup is a simple pleasure, as well as a nutritious one — especially as the weather cools down into fall mode. Here is a fairly easy recipe aimed to please busy cooks and their families. And it only takes about 15 minutes of preparation and an hour of simmering. When paired with a grilled cheese sandwich, this makes a great meal for lunch or supper.

One important preparation note: Although it may seem redundant to add vegetable broth to the recipe, without it, the end result will be watery and bland.

Ingredients:

• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup uncooked barley
• ½ teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Heat oil in large kettle and sauté onion, celery and carrots in it for a few minutes over medium heat.

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Remove bay leaf before serving.